It has very little to do with micro issues. Wooden butcher blocks have been used for yonks and have never ceased to amaze me when I have tested them.
The issue is the physical hazard of wood splinters. Some saw its ridiculous, others say its sublime but thats the way it is.
The last food safety related death from consumption of splinters was..................wait..........I cant find one!
Regards
Dr. Donal
It's a good point actually, however, I would say butchers blocks are rigorously scrubbed regularly or cut down to reveal a new surface; also they aren't used for RTE food preparation, whereas I've never seen a wooden broom being cleaned.
It's a fair point about the foreign body risk not being significant; however, I was in a factory where a wood splinter led to threat of prosecution from the EHO and even though the case never came to court, £10,000's were wasted in lawyer fees (and that was a process that had no alternative but to use wood.) I suspect that in most EHO's eyes, there is a suitable alternative to wood and that's why they might prosecute. Certainly after that experience I exclude wood where I can. Also I recently heard of a case where
Listeria was found on wood in a factory (suggests to me it was allowed to get and stay damp) so it's not cut and dried that wood isn't a micro risk IMO.
Sorry, just realised in the light of my butchers block comments, I've accidentally made another bad pun with "cut and dried". I'm on fire at the moment.
Dr GMO! (But only a doctor of Chemistry.)
Edited by GMO, 09 December 2010 - 11:24 AM.